ARE RETAILERS READY TO REOPEN?
When we go back to the stores, what will be waiting for us there?
I am sure everyone is sick of hearing about the pandemic but we can’t deny the impact it had on all of our lives. Things we used to consider normal now became a luxury we miss and crave.
But hopefully, sooner than later, stores are going to open and welcome back all of their customers.
Now the question’s left. Are they ready?
The virus didn’t stop people from shopping, it just made it a little different. Stores were replaced by websites and apps, our bedrooms and bathrooms for changing rooms, and postal workers became our favorite people to greet at the door.
Consumers realized they don’t need to go to a physical place to get what they want and that will for sure have an impact on the way retailers do their business.
Of course, nothing can replace the feeling of entering a store, seeing, and touching all the clothes in real life but it is not enough.
Buying has to become an experience. If brands want to bring people’s interest back some of the trends we might start seeing them incorporate more and more are virtual and augmented reality, less pressure to buy, and overall trying to get the customer to enjoy being at the store as much as possible.
Chanel started experimenting with these ideas back when they opened a cafe in Singapore a few years ago. Other than getting to try out their newest cosmetics customers got to drink and eat, forgetting they are actually at a store. Removing the pressure to spend money relaxes the consumer and makes their feeling about the brand more favorable.
VR and AR are already seen around Asia and it’s just a matter of time when the rest of the world will start using them to show their products in another light.
A futuristic feel might be key to shopping in the post-covid world where touch is still considered an issue. Instead of having to try on a bunch of clothes, one could simply use their smartphone and AR to see what it would look like on them. New technology is being introduced every day and, while incorporating it in stores early on might be expensive it could save the brand in the long run.
People are used to the traditional way of shopping so anything out of the ordinary will spark their interest and get them into the retail space. Whether they buy something or not just sharing their experience on social media and in real life is, without a doubt, going to help the brand’s image and bring in new customers.
The other way things might go is in the direction of creating a deeper connection between employees and shoppers. Being locked up at home without much communication with people who aren’t our closest friends or family left most of us missing the feel of closeness to other people.
Sellers could easily play up on that and make the customer look forward to going back to the store because they know the retail workers are going to pay a lot of attention to them and their feelings, not just the amount they spend. Giving someone a glass of champagne while they look through the newest collection won’t be enough anymore. Remembering the names of children and pets, favorite colors or fabrics, and just making jokes and talking to everyone that enters the store could become a must.
Whichever way they decide to go, retailers are facing a real challenge when it comes to adapting to what their customers are expecting of them once the world goes back to normal. Competing with e-commerce and dealing with losses suffered due to closing will certainly push them to incorporate some new strategies into the way they do business.
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Thank you so much for reading!
Are you looking forward to experiencing something new or would rather everything just stays the same?
Leave any of your thoughts in the comments, I would love to know what you think!